여러분 안녕하세요.
토미입니다.
Today, I’m going to introduce a method for memorizing 1,600 words in just three weeks.
You might be thinking, “What? Memorizing 1,600 words in three weeks? That’s impossible!” or “That’s only for geniuses, right?”
Don’t worry.
If you use the right method, memorizing 1,600 words in three weeks is absolutely possible for anyone.
And it has nothing to do with your age, memory capacity, or natural intelligence.
What truly matters is whether you are using a correct, repeatable method.
I can say that confidently, because my students actually memorized 1600 words within three weeks.
Some students actually memorized words shorter than that.
For example, Alma is a 14-year-old student in Spain.
I taught her how to memorize the vocabulary efficiently, using my method.
She studied 4 hours a day and memorized 1,600 words in just 15 days.
In addition, in the case of Devi, 26 years old, living in India, she applied my methods, studied 3 hours a day and memorized 1,600 words in just 13 days.
Like these students, I have several students who memorized vocabulary in a very short time.
So, I’ll share both the theory and practice of vocabulary memorization so that you can start memorizing words efficiently from today.
Here’s what I will cover:
I’ll explain three key points necessary for memorizing words efficiently.
And, I will show you actual practice, where I’ll demonstrate how to memorize words using a vocabulary book.
If you put today’s content into practice, your Korean learning will dramatically change — I guarantee it.
By the way, I previously made a video on how to memorize 1,600 words in a month.
But what I’m sharing this time is the updated version of that method.
So, if you want to escape from the “vocabulary memorization swamp,”
make sure to watch this until the end.
I promise your vocabulary memorization will skyrocket!
Hooray! Yes.
그럼 시작할게요!
Three Points for Ultra-Efficient Memorization
Now, I’m going to share with you the three key points for memorizing vocabulary super efficiently.
First: Repetitive Learning
The first key point for memorizing Korean vocabulary super efficiently is “repetition.”
This is a very important concept.
One of the biggest misconceptions about memorizing words is the belief that you can remember them perfectly in just one try.
Have you heard of Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve?
According to this curve, people forget about half of what they’ve learned after just one hour, and about two-thirds after a single day.
So, you are going to forget half of what I am explaining right now.
In other words, humans are forgetful creatures.
No matter how hard you study, over time you will forget things.
It’s not because you’re “too old to remember”— it’s simply because everyone forgets.
So what should you do when you forget?
The answer is simple: review repeatedly until you recall it again.
When you learn something new, you shouldn’t expect to memorize it in one shot.
Repetition has to be the foundation of your study.
This is a very important part, so I will say it again.
“Repetition has to be the foundation of your study.”
Also, many people think that forgetting means that information has been “erased” from memory.
But that’s not true.
Forgetting actually means you can’t retrieve the memory at that moment.
In other words, the knowledge is still stored in your brain, but you can’t pull it out.
By repeatedly reviewing and feeding that information back into your brain, the time it takes to recall it gradually becomes shorter.
If you’ve gone through a vocabulary book two or three times, you probably know what I mean.
As you can imagine, the second and third reviews usually take less time than the first.
That’s because even if you feel like you forgot everything, your brain still remembers a little bit of what you learned before.
So when you review it, the words come back much faster.
Now, you might be wondering: “So how many times should I review a vocabulary book?”
My answer is: at least seven times.
In fact, even ten or twenty rounds is totally fine.
So from the very beginning, approach vocabulary memorization with the mindset that you’ll go through it at least seven times.
Second: One-Second Memorization
The second key point for memorizing Korean vocabulary super efficiently is “one-second memorization.”
Let me ask you a question:
What’s the standard for saying you’ve truly memorized a word?
If you spend about a minute trying to recall it and finally remember, does that count as memorized?
For me, the answer is no.
My standard is this: you can only say you’ve memorized a word if you can recall its meaning within one second.
If it takes you ten seconds to finally remember it, that’s not memorized.
So ultimately, the goal is to be able to recall the meaning of all 1,600 words within one second.
Among people studying vocabulary, very few actually focus on this speed factor.
But when you’re speaking with a native speaker, if you can’t understand what they say within one second, you simply won’t be able to keep up with the conversation.
And the same goes for Korean exams like TOPIK.
If the meanings of words don’t come to you quickly, you won’t be able to finish long reading or listening passages in time.
Of course, in the beginning, it might take longer.
So it’s fine to start with a standard like, “As long as I can remember it within five seconds, that’s okay.”
Then gradually raise the bar for yourself—first three seconds, and eventually down to one second.
Third: Sorting
The third key point for memorizing Korean vocabulary super efficiently is “sorting.”
This simply means separating the words you’ve already memorized from the ones you still haven’t.
It’s simple, but very effective.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to memorize 40 words.
Some people test themselves on all 40, and if they get even one wrong, they go back and review all 40 words again.
But here’s the problem: among those 40 words, there are words you already know perfectly.
Reviewing those memorized words again and again is just inefficient.
So instead, mark the words you already know as “passed,” and only re-study the ones you couldn’t recall correctly.
Here’s how you can do it step by step:
First, study through the new words you want to memorize.
Next, test yourself to check if you remember them correctly.
Then, sort the words into two groups: the ones you remembered and the ones you didn’t.
A simple way is just to put a check mark (〇) next to the words you got right.
After that, only go back and focus on the ones you couldn’t remember.
Repeat this process, and once all of the words have check marks, you’re done!
So make sure to use sorting to memorize words more efficiently.
Super-Efficient Memorization Method: Practice Edition
Step 1: Preparation
Now, from here it will be the practice section.
Let’s actually work on vocabulary memorization together!
To begin with, I will introduce 4 things to prepare.
First, the vocabulary book of 1,600 beginner-level words that I created.
Please download the vocabulary book from the description box of this YouTube video and print it out.
If you look at the vocabulary book, you will see that it is designed to memorize 40 words at a time.
Next, the beginner vocabulary listening video.
This is also linked in the description of this YouTube video, so please check it.
Also, please prepare one A4 sheet of paper to use for the vocabulary memorization check.
And please prepare a pen.
Step 2: Pronunciation Check
From here, I will actually start memorizing words, but what do you think it really means to memorize a word?
The answer is, simply, to memorize the spelling, meaning, and pronunciation together as a set.
Especially for beginners of Korean, I think many people do not know the correct pronunciation in the first place.
In that situation, if you only look at the spelling and memorize the pronunciation vaguely, when the sound you memorized is different from the actual sound, you will not be able to recognize it when you hear it.
For example, do you know how to pronounce this?
깻잎 (perilla leaf)
By the way, you might not have heard of perilla leaves before, but they’re a very common leafy vegetable.
We often use them to wrap grilled pork or beef.
So this leaf is a staple ingredient in Korean cuisine.
Going back to track, can you read it out loud?
You might think it is read as kesip, but the correct answer is kennip.
However, if you memorize the word thinking it is kesip, when someone actually says kennip in a conversation, you will not understand what they are talking about.
Moreover, Koreans cannot understand the word, kesip.
Therefore, in vocabulary study, always make sure to check not only the spelling and meaning, but also the pronunciation, and memorize them together as a set.
So, at the beginning, for the range of words you will study, play the listening video and check the spelling, meaning, and pronunciation.
And then, read the words out loud along with the video.
So, as a reading practice, let’s now read aloud together—both the Korean words and their English translations.
1 가게 store, shop
2 가격 price
3 가구 furniture
4 가깝다 close
5 가끔 sometimes
6 가다 go
That’s the idea.
However, you don’t need to repeat this many times.
Since the purpose is to understand the Korean pronunciation, if there is no problem, it is fine to finish after one or two times.
Step 3: Memorization
Next, I will move on to memorization.
If, during the previous reading aloud, you already somewhat memorized the words, you can continue straight to the test method that I will explain after this.
If you still have not memorized them at all, then please read aloud the Korean words and their English meanings alternately, five times each, doing this for about three rounds.
At this time, instead of focusing on “memorizing,” focus only on reading aloud quickly and continuously.
Some of you may think, “Wait, this way I don’t feel like I’m memorizing at all.”
But that is not a problem.
You don’t really memorize words when you try to put them into your head.
You actually memorize them when you try to recall them.
Therefore, once you finish reading aloud, even if your memory is vague, move on to the test method.
Previously, you read aloud at the speed of the audio, but this time, while understanding the meaning, try to read as quickly as possible.
If you can, aim for one word per second.
I will say it again: the important point here is not “trying to memorize,” but simply “reading aloud continuously.”
So please try to proceed as quickly as possible.
Once that is done, next you will try to recall the memorized words in test format.
The method of the test is simple: use an A4 sheet of paper to hide the English meanings, then look at the Korean words and check whether you can say the English meaning.
It is easier to work if you fold the A4 paper in half and use it.
At this time, do not force yourself to recall unknown words for 10 or 20 seconds.
If the meaning does not come to mind within one second, immediately look at the answer.
In my vocabulary list, it is made to memorize 40 words per column, but depending on the person, 20 or 10 at a time is also fine.
For the words you could not recall, just like before, read aloud the Korean and English alternately five times each, then move on to the next word.
On the other hand, for the words whose meaning you could recall immediately, put a circle (〇) with your pen outside the frame.
In other words, put a circle for the words you memorized, and leave nothing for the words you did not.
Once you have gone through all 40 words, go back to the beginning.
When you go back to the beginning, repeat the memorization again, but this time only for the words without circles.
Repeat this process, and once all 40 words have circles, you are finished.
Probably toward the end, you may find cases like “Only one word is left, and I can answer it immediately,” but that is completely fine.
Once you finish the first round, move on to the second and third rounds, this time only going over the parts without circles.
And once every word has a circle, you’re finished.
This way, even if only temporarily, you will have memorized the words.
Step 4: Repetition
From here, I will move into the stage of repetition.
As for the timing of repetition, it is good to review the material one day later and one week later.
If you can do it this way, that is fine.
However, for some people, recording and keeping track of reviews one day later or one week later may be troublesome.
Also, the amount of study time can differ depending on the day.
For example, you may have memorized 100 words yesterday, but today you do not have enough time to review them.
In such cases, I recommend incorporating the timing of repetition into the study order itself.
For example, let’s say you memorize 40 words at a time.
This makes one group of 40 words.
When you memorize the first group, then you move on to the second group.
But before you move on to the third group, be sure to review the first group once again.
The rule is simple:
Every time you learn a new group of words, you review the group that came just before it.
For example, you first learn the 1st group. Then, after learning the 2nd group, you review the 1st group.
Next, after learning the 3rd group, you review the 2nd group.
After learning the 4th group, you review the 3rd group. Finally, after learning the 5th group, you review the 4th group.
- Learn the 1st group
- Learn the 2nd group → Review the 1st group
- Learn the 3rd group → Review the 2nd group
- Learn the 4th group → Review the 3rd group
- Learn the 5th group → Review the 4th group
In other words, the pattern is to learn a new group, then review the previous group, then move on to the next new group, and review the previous group again, and so on.
Once you have memorized about 100–200 words, review everything again from the beginning.
By doing this, you will have gone through three full rounds of vocabulary review.
Then, when you have memorized a total of about 100 to 200 words, go through everything once more as a review.
By doing this, you will have completed three rounds of vocabulary review.
Sometimes, people study like this: on Day 1 they learn the 1st group; on Day 2 they review the 1st group and learn the 2nd; on Day 3 they review the 1st and 2nd groups and learn the 3rd, and so on, increasing the study range each day.
At first glance, this may seem simple and easy to understand, but the problem is that the number of reviews becomes uneven.
The first words are reviewed many times, while the last words are reviewed very few times.
This is not efficient.
So please refer to my way of arranging repetition.
Also, I told you before that vocabulary should be reviewed seven times in total.
As for how to complete these seven rounds: First, by using the method I just explained, you will be able to review all 1,600 words three times.
Then, repeat the same process once more to reach six rounds.
Finally, review all the words from start to finish in one continuous round, which makes seven in total.
By the seventh round, you will most likely be able to recall almost all of the meanings and pronunciations instantly.
Please give it a try!
Step 5: Maintenance
Once you are able to recall words within one second, memorization is considered finished for the time being.
However, in reality, most people make a big mistake here.
What is that mistake?
It is that they never review the words they have memorized again.
In the beginning, they work hard to memorize, going through the vocabulary book many times.
But once they think they have memorized the words, they relax and stop opening the vocabulary book altogether.
Then, after a few months, they realize they have forgotten the words they had memorized before.
The key point here is to review without letting your guard down.
At the beginner level, you will learn 1,600 words, but what is important is maintaining that vocabulary.
Therefore, even after you have finished learning them, make sure to do a test-style review once a month for about 3 months.
At that time, re-memorize and check again the parts you got wrong.
This review is, in other words, maintenance.
Think of yourselves as architects, building a huge building called Korean inside your mind.
Even if you make the building bigger and bigger, if the foundation cracks and collapses, it is meaningless.
That is why, while building upwards, you must also continue maintaining the parts you have already completed.
As you do this, the amount of maintenance gradually increases, right?
That is the correct way to study.
Some of you may think, “Wait, if that’s the case, won’t I end up spending all my time just reviewing?”
But there is no need to worry.
If you are reviewing properly, even if the amount increases, you will be able to finish your review in a short time.
If you can recall at the one-second level, you can finish reviewing the 1,600 beginner words in about one hour.
As the saying goes, “Make haste slowly.”
In the end, reviewing thoroughly is actually the most efficient way to increase your knowledge.
In this way, studying is a repetition of learning new things and reviewing what you have learned.
If you consistently review what you have finished learning while also studying new things, sooner or later you will definitely master Korean.
So, do not be afraid of forgetting.
Face “forgetting” with the weapon called “reviewing.”
Summary
This time, I explained the method to memorize 1,600 words in three weeks.
As the three key points for super-efficient memorization, I explained:
Repetition
One-second memorization
Sorting
Then, as for the actual practice of vocabulary memorization, I introduced concrete memorization methods using my beginner vocabulary book, divided into five steps.
These were: preparation, pronunciation check, memorization, repetition, and maintenance.
If you follow these five steps, you will surely be able to memorize words long-term and reliably.
This method is not only used by me, but also by my students whom I teach daily, and it has consistent results.
So please, try it yourself.
By the way, I am currently running a service called “Fast Korean,” in which I put all of my knowledge and experience into thoroughly supporting my students’ Korean learning.
Many students, without studying abroad, while going to a highschool, university, working, doing housework, or raising children, have achieved remarkable growth in a short period of time.
However, recruitment for Fast Korean is held irregularly.
If, after watching today’s video, you feel anxious and think, “Can I really do this on my own?” or if you sincerely wish to learn Korean directly from me, please register on Newsletter subscription from the link in the description box and wait for further information.
In Fast Korean, I teach not only the concrete methods of vocabulary memorization, but also everything necessary for learning Korean, including how to pass TOPIK and the right mindset.
Also, I will continue to share more and more useful information for those who are eager to succeed in Korean, so please don’t forget to subscribe to this YouTube channel and click the bell icon!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요!
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅!!
